A Future Varchie
by Riverdale-obsessed
Summary: Archie Andrews and Veronica Lodge are 18 years old, finishing up their Senior year at Riverdale High. When the unexpected happens, they need each other's love and support to get them through everything they encounter.
1. Chapter 1

Archie's phone rang. He glanced at the caller ID, ready to give a frustrated sigh if Reggie was calling again about basketball practice. But it wasn't Reggie. Veronica was calling. "Ronnie, are you okay?" Archie questioned. Wrinkles formed on his forehead. He was worried.

"Please come over," Veronica murmured. Her voice sounded wispy and frail, like it could fade away at any moment. "I'm not feeling well, I vomited again… I don't want to move… please come over."

Archie was already putting on his jacket and grabbing the keys to his car. "Veronica, I'm coming as soon as I can. Just lie down, okay?"

"Okay." Veronica weakly pressed the end button on her cell and placed it on the tiles on her bathroom floor. Her other hand was gripping the side of the toilet she just threw up in. She tried to get up from the position she was in, using the toilet seat for leverage. Suddenly, a splitting headache began throbbing in her brain, a pulsating pain that radiated around her skull. It consumed her entirely, threatening to constrict around her until she dissolved into nothingness. Her vision blurred and hot tears spilled from her eyes. Whimpering like a scared child, she sat back and crossed her legs, burying her head in her hands.

"I'm coming, I'm coming, I'm coming." Archie whispered this to himself over and over and over until he opened the door to Veronica's bathroom.

"Ronnie, what happened?" He crouched down near her fragile body and placed a gentle hand on her gentle, rubbing up and down.

She groaned in response. Her head was pounding even harder now. She felt like her brain was pushing out on her skull. Too much pressure and it would explode.

Saying nothing, Archie easily picked her up and carried her to her bed, laying her down lightly on the jumbled covers. She buried her face deeper into the pillow, letting the fabric soak up her tears.

"It's going to be okay, Ronnie." Archie turned around and began walking out of the room. "I'm going to get some pain relievers."

A few minutes later, Archie came back into the room with a small container of pills and a glass of water. He helped Veronica sit up and she gratefully swallowed the pill, leaning her head back on the headboard.

"Do you need anything? I can heat up some leftovers or order take out or…"

"No, I'm not hungry."

"Are you sure? It's not a problem at all."

"I'm really fine, I just want to go to sleep."

"Veronica, it's 8:04. This is early for you!"

"I know, its just I've been super tired and that's it so just let it go, okay Archie?" Veronica seemed surprised at her raised voice, immediately feeling apologetic. "I-I'm sorry. I don't… I just… I'm sorry."

Archie gave her a curious look. "Ronnie, is everything okay? Like, with your parents and all?"

Veronica licked her lips, refusing to meet his eyes. "Yeah, my parents are my parents. We still have issues… we will always have issues… but we will eventually get over it." At least that was true.

"Are you keeping something from me?" Archie pressed further. "You've been acting kind of weird for the past few weeks."

"It must be the stomach bug I have," Veronica whispered. She stared at her clasped hands, looking at anything but his eyes.

"No, not that." Archie said. "You've been avoiding me in the halls and acting happy one moment and angry the next." Veronica pursed her lips, a sure sign of nervousness as Archie knew form experience.

"Also, you're not paying attention during class and skipping classes and not eating the lunch food when you do come to school."

"The lunch food is disgusting."

"That's not the point!" Frustration boiled up in Archie. "I just need to know what's going on!"

"I'm sorry!" Veronica cried, tears once again rolling down her cheeks.

"hey, hey, hey," Archie whispered. He crawled closer to her along the bed and sat next to her, wrapping an arm around her shaking shoulders. "Was it something I said?"

She wiped the tear drops from her cheeks and sniffled. She hated it, feeling like a helpless child. She was Veronica Lodge, for cripes sake! Bold, strong, and confident Veronica Lodge. Vulnerability was new and odd for her. And, fear of Archie leaving her after what she was going to say was also new.

"I have to tell you something," Veronica said suddenly. Fear and anxiety was spreading in her mind, something she rarely felt near Archie. She carefully shrugged his arm off her shoulder and moved herself so she was sitting right across from him. She took a deep breath. Better now than later.

"Three weeks ago was when… strange things started happening. Headaches, nausea, vomiting… and more things that I don't want to go into detail about." She glanced at him. He was listening carefully, not interrupting. So, she continued. "I started have weird cravings and aversions and I stopped eating as much as I used to. I was tired all the time and decided to ditch class. Then the mood swings began, and I thought maybe it was just a weird teenage thing." Another deep breath. "And then… I noticed I missed my period." Silence. Veronica looked at Archie. Realization filled his eyes.

"Oh my gosh, Ronnie…"

"I'm pregnant."


	2. Chapter 2

The bells on the doors of Pop's Chock'lit Shop chimed as Jughead Jones and Betty Cooper walked, hand in hand. Jughead leaned down to whisper something in Betty's ear and she giggled, tilting her head upwards to press a soft kiss onto her cheek. Together, they strolled over to the booth that Archie and Veronica were already sitting at.

"Good morning, V," Betty sang. Her ponytail swished as she sat down, a smile covering her pale face.

"Good morning to you too, B."

"Archibald," Jughead said in a playful tone as he slid into the booth next to Betty. "You're wearing the same shirt you were wearing yesterday! Too invested in your music career to do laundry?" He rolled his eyes and shook his head lightheartedly. Veronica and Archie glanced at each other, worry sketched into their tired faces.

"Yeah. Something like that." Archie mumbled. He placed a comforting hand on Veronica's knee, gently rubbing his thumb along her soft skin.

"Is everything okay?" Betty asked. Veronica knew it was directed towards her. Everybody in this small town were aware of the Lodge parents and their shady doings. It was only her friends that made sure that she was holding up well with such a disreputable family.

"Um..." Veronica pursued her lips and peeked at Archie, who was staring at her. He gave her a small tight-lipped smile and nodded. He moved his hand from her knee to her clenched fist, forcing her to entwine her fidgety fingers with his. Her palms were unusually warm clammy, Archie noted.

"V, you can tell us anything, okay? We are here for you no matter what. Right, Jug?" Betty looked over expectantly at her boyfriend, who was devoting his attention to playing with a strand of black hair from his head. "Jug."

"What?"

Betty sighed, but leaned her head onto his shoulder anyways. "At least I'm here for you no matter what, okay V? No. Matter. What."

Veronica smiled gratefully. "Thanks B. I really do appreciate that. Especially because I have something... important to tell you guys." Betty cocked her head, listening. Jughead was getting ready to zone out. Usually something "important" to the girls was the new episode of a TV show or a huge sale at a certain clothing shop.

Veronica took a deep breath and ran her tongue over her chapped lips. Archie squeezed her hand, encouraging her to speak. Their non-verbal communication skills have definitely improved since when they first got together two years ago. _Just spit it out_ , Veronica told herself.

"I'm pregnant. With, like, an actual child." Betty's jaw dropped. Jughead's hand stopped twirling and he stared at Veronica.

"Are you kidding?" he asked in awe, although he knew that Veronica would never joke about something like that. Veronica shook her head.

"V, that's amazing!" Betty exclaimed, clapping her hands together like an excited child. "Arch, you must be so proud!"

An enormous smile broke out on Archie's face. "More than you can imagine," he whispered into Veronica's ear as he leaned down to kiss her forehead.

"Well, are you gonna keep it?" Jughead asked. Betty shot him a warning look, but he ignored it.

Veronica immediately replied, "Yes. Maybe. Hopefully. If my parents allow it."

"V, you haven't told your parents?" Betty almost shouted. "What about Archie's? Does his parents know?"

Archie shook head. "Not yet. I just learned about this yesterday night! Cut me some slack!"

"Jesus christ," Betty muttered under her breath.

Jughead snickered. "Good luck with that."

"Jug!" Betty slapped his arm. A raised eyebrow told him to shut up.

"No it's really fine," Veronica sighed. "I actually might be kicked out of the house but at least Archie will be there for me." She gazed up at Archie's caring, loving eyes and snuggled closer to him.

"So are we." Betty said. "If you need anything, we are here for you."

Veronica giggled. "That's the second time you said that, B."

"I know. The more I say it, the more you'll believe it."

"I already believe it!"

"I know you do. I just want to remind you sometimes." Veronica smiled.


	3. Chapter 3

It was Monday morning before the first bell. Cheryl Blossom was strutting down the halls in her 4-inch heels, her orange hair bouncing on her shoulders.

"Heeeyyy you!" Toni Topaz sang as she scurried to catch up with her girlfriend. They entwined hands naturally, Cheryl's red nail polish brighter than ever. Before Cheryl could say anything back, Veronica hurriedly pushed between them with her hand over her mouth, pulling their hands apart. It was obvious that she was crying.

"What the hell?" Toni shouted after Veronica. She shook her head. "Bitch."

Cheryl's gaze lingered on Veronica, and contemplative expression on her face. "Babe, don't you think Veronica is acting a bit... strange lately?"

Toni shrugged absentmindedly, once again taking hold of Cheryl's hand. "Maybe it's her parents. It's gotta be, what else could possibly damage her perfect, luxurious life?"

Cheryl eye's glimmered and her mouth turned upwards into a slight grin. "It could be Andrews that's got her flustered. Do I sense some relationship problems heading their way?"

"Oh come on!" Toni sighed. "They've been dating for two years now! A breakup seems very unlikely. If anything, he should be getting down on one knee with a diamond ring in his hands."

"Mm." Cheryl murmured passively. "Whatever's happening, I need to know."

"If anything is happening," Toni warned.

"Trust me, sweetie. I've known Veronica for 4 years now. I can tell when something is up with her. By the end of today, I'll get to the bottom of this, mark my words." Toni rolled her eyes lovingly as they continued on their way through the hallway.

* * *

"I'm here!" Cheryl announced as she barged into the music room, hands on her stopped strumming his guitar and glanced up at her.

"Hey Cheryl," Archie said. suspiciously. Students rarely came into the music room unless his friends were hanging out with him but generally they preferred the outdoor lunch tables. Cheryl showing up in a music room was quite an unusual sight.

She sat down on an empty chair and folded her hands in her lap. "I think you know why I'm voluntarily talking you, as uncommon as it is."

"Um... no,"

Cheryl cocked her head expectantly and chuckled. "Do you need a hint?"

"Yes, actually. I have absolutely no idea why you're here."

"Veronica, maybe?" Archie's eyes widened is surprise.

"What do you know about Veronica?" he asked gingerly. He needed to choose his words carefully to get as much information out of Cheryl without giving away too many details.

"Oh, I don't know..." Cheryl teased. She played with a lock of red hair, twirling it between her fingers. "Did you guys... fight recently?" She leaned forward in her chair.

"No." Inside, a wave of relief flooded Archie. Thank god Cheryl did know about Veronica's pregnancy. It would have been all over the school in seconds.

"No? I saw her tearing down the hallways this morning. Crying."

"Really?" Archie exclaimed. "What happened? Is she okay? Did you help her?"

Cheryl rolled her eyes. "Oh good lord, don't play dumb. It's obvious you're lying. What did you do to her, Archie? How did you break up with her"

"I'm not lying. And I didn't do anything to her." Frustrated, Archie set his guitar down next to him. "Okay, you know what Cheryl? I'm kind of busy right now so can you please leave?"

Cheryl opened her mouth in fake astonishment. "Leave? No one tells Cheryl Blossom to leave. I can stay if I want to."

"Cheryl, nothing happened between Veronica and I! We didn't fight, we didn't break up. She's fine, so just let it be."

"Oh, Archikins," Archie bristled at Cheryl calling her that. "She's clearly not fine. Since you aren't gonna spill, I guess I'll go have to talk to V instead." She stood up suddenly and brushed her hands over her skirt, smoothing it out. With a small smirk, she flipped her hair and sauntered out of the room.

Archie grimaced, not wanting Cheryl to bother Veronica as such a sensitive time like this. She doesn't need to deal with Cheryl as well as everything else. But, he couldn't have tried to stop her or it would have seemed suspicious. Sighing, he took a bite of his half-eaten sandwich. Another day, another issue. That's how life went in Riverdale.

* * *

"Veronica Lodge," Cheryl sang, strolling up to the table where she was sitting at. She as well as Betty, Jughead, and Kevin looked up from their lunch. "How have you been?"

Veronica shifted uncomfortably in her seat, glancing at her friends. "Um, fine, I guess."

"Really? How interesting! Tell me more."

Sighing, Betty exclaimed, "Cheryl, what do you want?"

"Nothing from you, ponytail."

"Oh I see you are still the queen of unoriginal and meaningless names."

"I see you are still the queen of wearing the same hairstyle for 4 years in a row. That's gotta be a record."

"Do you know what's really a record? The amount of makeup needed to cover your forehead acne."

Cheryl gasped. "How dare you! I've never had a single pimple on my face."

"Not hit puberty yet, huh? Sorry, but every other 18 year old in the world can't relate."

Cheryl scowled, flipping her hair over her shoulder. With a satisfied smile, Betty returned to eating her food.

Kevin cleared his throat awkwardly, changing the subject. "So, Veronica. Why aren't you eating lunch?"

"Cafeteria food is nauseating," Veronica mumbled. "Everyone knows that." Cheryl looked down at her tray. Sure enough, the chicken wings were untouched and the soggy fries were still there.

Oddly, Cheryl placed a hand on her back. "Veronica, if you are going through anything, you can always tell me."

"Okay..." Veronica answered, slightly alarmed. _Does Cheryl know?_ she wondered. Judging by the looks on her friends faces, they were unnerved as well.

Leaning down, Cheryl whispered into Veronica's ear, "I know something happened between you and Archie." Veronica's mouth opened in shock. Abruptly, she stood up and pushed Cheryl out of the way.

"I have to go," she mumbled. She scurried off towards the doors to school.

Cheryl smirked. "Talk to you later!" she called.


	4. Chapter 4

_Briiiiing,_ the end-of-the-school-day bell rang, a shrill screeching noise that the students of Riverdale High had become all too accustomed to.

"The expository essays on a topic of your choice are due tomorrow!" the teacher yelled. "Four pages at the minimum!" Veronica groaned and buried her head in her hands, letting her raven-colored hair cover her face. With all of the craziness that has happened, she had completely forgot about the English essay. She vaguely remembered starting the paper. She had written three short paragraphs before deciding that procrastination was the way to go. FaceTiming Archie for the hundredth time was much more important, she thought.

Oh, _Archie._ She still had to talk to him about the whole Cheryl thing. She was utterly in the dark about what Cheryl knew and what she didn't. She might be bluffing for all Veronica knew. Sighing, she shoved her English stuff in her backpack and slung it over her shoulder before walking out of the room.

"Ronnie!" she heard a familiar voice shout. Archie soon slipped through the crowd and sidled up next to her. "Hey!"

"Hey Archikins!" Archie smiled at the nickname and bent down to place a soft kiss on her forehead. He wrapped his arm gently around her waist and pulled her closer to his body. "How are you holding up?" he said, his voice at a significantly lower volume. They both agreed to keep the pregnancy between them and the other members of the core four. Parents would get to know next, and hopefully soon, but the other students at Riverdale High would have to wait.

Veronica played with a strand of her hair, looking down at her heels. "Um, actually... I want to talk to you about something."

"Yeah, me too." Veronica's head shot up, her worried eyes meeting his. "No no no, don't worry it's nothing too bad. You go first."

Veronica pursued her lips, glancing around at the sea of students milling around them. "Walk me home?" she said, raising an eyebrow. Archie shook his head.

"Football practice is in five minutes." Veronica stuck out her bottom lip, making a pouty face.

"Ugh, come over later then?"

"Sure. Anything for you Ronnie." Archie leaned down and brushed his lips against hers, holding her cheek in one hand.

"Archie!" a voice called from down the hallway. "Football practice is today! You'd better get your ass on the field right now or coach will kill you!" Archie sighed into Veronica's mouth and she giggled, pulling away. She ran a thumb along his lip, wiping away the lipstick that had gotten on his face.

"I know! Tell him I'll be there in a second!" he yelled back. He shook his head, muttering, "Fucking Mantle."

"You heard him. You better get to practice." Veronica teased. She lightheartedly placed a hand on his broad chest and pushed up backwards in the direction of the field. Archie stumbled and laughed, always surprised by how strong she was despite her small figure.

"I'd rather be with you," he said solemnly. "I'm serious, though. If there's absolutely _anything_ that you need, no matter how big or how small, I will be there for you. I can skip football practice and stop spending so much time songwriting and I can ditch class to help you if you aren't feeling well and I -"

"Archikins," Veronica placed a calming hand on Archie's forearm. "I can handle myself. Most of the time. Right now, I'm doing fine. I'm actually feeling pretty great." She smiled just to prove. "Now, go to practice."

Archie breathed in and smiled back. "Okay." He kissed her deeply once more and headed towards the boys locker room.

"I love you," she whispered, almost inaudibly. But Archie heard.

"I love you too," he said back, beaming. "See you soon!"

"Yup!" Veronica nodded. She looked down at the ground and tucked her hair behind her ear, suppressing a gleeful grin. She almost forgot about what they were going to talk about that night. Almost. But not quite. Cheryl and her nosy antics always found a way into the minds of the Riverdale residents.

* * *

"Arg!" Veronica shouted. She was sprawled out on her bed, laptop in front of her. The essay was due soon and she only had a single page completed. Groaning, she shut her computer and rolled over onto her back, resting one hand on her stomach and one on her forehead. It was merely 6:48, yet she was tired as hell. She couldn't remember a time in which she felt more... dead. Slowly, her eyes began fluttering closed...

"Veronica!" her mom called from downstairs. "Archie's here!" Grunting, she made her way off the bed and went downstairs. She found Archie, Hiram, and Hermione waiting for her.

Her dad cocked his head, studying her. "Mija, you've got bags under your eyes. Have you been getting enough sleep?"

"Yes, daddy." She quickly grabbed Archie's hand and pulled him over to the couch, collapsing into his waiting arms.

"Your father and I are going out for the night." Hermione said. "We won't be back for a while. If you need anything, call us."

"mmhm" she mumbled. As soon as she heard to door close, she sighed loudly and relaxed her tensed muscles, nudging herself deeper into Archie's chest. Carefully, he placed his hand on her stomach and rubbing his thumb back and forth along the fabric of her t-shirt.

"Isn't it crazy?" Veronica whispered. She looked up and rested her chin on his shoulder. "That there's a baby growing inside me?"

He chuckled and kissed her mouth, running his tongue along her bottom lip. "Yeah it really is." Veronica smiled and wrapped her arm around Archie's waist, pulling them closer together.

"But do you know what's even crazier?"

"That we haven't told our parents?"

Veronica grimaced just thinking about it. "True, but I was thinking more in the direction of Cheryl Blossom."

Archie full-on laughed, throwing his head back. "She actually thought we broke up! Can you believe that?"

Veronica placed a hand on the middle of his chest and sat up. "Wait, what?"

"I know right? She actually thought we broke up!" Veronica paused, thinking. She remembered what happened at lunch that day. _I know something happened between you and Archie,_ she had whispered. It all made sense now. She was talking about a fictional breakup.

"Oohhh! I thought she knew about my pregnancy!" Veronica cringed at the word, still not comfortable saying it with such confidence. It was such an odd phrase to say at such a young age. She never knew that her senior year would end with this on her mind.

Archie sighed, shaking his head. "She doesn't know at the moment, but she could find out real soon if we aren't careful."

"So we will be!" Veronica chimed. She lay back down next to Archie. They lay there for a few minutes, drinking in each others smells and savoring each others gentle touches. Through his shirt, Veronica could feel Archie's heart beat, the warmth of his chest radiating to her body.

"They are gonna find out sometime," Archie murmured into her hair.

"I know."

"Might as well began telling people sooner than later." Archie knew he was suggesting something tremendously awful in Veronica's mind, but he had to rip off the band-aid. A child, an actual _child,_ is not something that can be kept a secret forever.

Veronica closed her eyes. She knew this conversation was going to come up. "And what do you mean by 'people?'"

"Inner circle first, of course. Betty and Jughead already know soooo..."

"Soooo..." Veronica prompted.

"Soooo... my mom and dad will probably be somewhat welcome to... this."

Veronica swallowed nervously. Just the idea of letting their parents know about the baby growing in her belly made her shiver with dread and worry. Bravely, she said, "Okay. Maybe we should start there."

"Yeah, maybe we should," Archie agreed, glad she was catching on.

Veronica looked up into this eyes. "I hate this part."

"What part?" Archie questioned, genuinely confused.

"The part where we have to deal with judgy comments and snarky faces. And the worst thing is, they don't even mean to be judgmental or make weird expressions when they see a pregnant teenager. I just know it's gonna happen, and I don't want it to. And, it's even worse when my parents are the gonna be the ones that judge me, or us, the most."

Archie said nothing, not agreeing or disagreeing with Veronica's words. He merely pulled her into a tight hug and they lay there in silence.


	5. Chapter 5

It had been exactly seven days since Archie and Veronica had that conversation snuggled up together on Veronica's couch. Since then, they had made no plans to tells their parents. They had barely even talked about her pregnancy or their parents despite Betty's and Jughead's constant encouragements to do so.

That's probably why Archie was completely astonished when Veronica showed up at his doorstep, tears streaming down her cheeks, claiming that she told Hiram and Hermione Lodge about the child growing in her stomach.

"Shhh, calm down," Archie whispered. He immediately gathered the crumbling girl in his arms as she cried into his chest, dampening his shirt. "Shhh, it's going to be okay."

"What's going on here?" Fred asked, appearing behind Archie's shoulders. Veronica stepped out of Archie's hug, wiping her eyes.

"I-I'm so sorry for bothering you at this time Mr. Andrews but I need somewhere to stay for the night, maybe a few more nights actually, and Betty is busy studying for the SAT's and Jughead and I are never on perfectly good terms and it would be weird to go over to my best friend's boyfriends house to sleepover so I decided to show up here and I really hope I didn't interrupt anything important." She took a long shuddering breath.

"No, not at all," Fred responded kindly.

"I know I just so rudely invited myself over but if you don't want me to stay I can find somewhere else to go it will be fine-"

"Of course you can stay!" Archie exclaimed. He grabbed her hand and entwined his fingers with hers, pulling her inside. "I'm not going to leave you outside like that!"

Fred clapped his hands together, not entirely sure how to handle the situation. At times like this, he wished Archie's mother was there with him. Thankfully, Archie took control.

"Ronnie, sit down please," he said calmly as he lead her to the dining room. Gratefully, she plopped down on the chair that Archie's pulled out for her and dropped her face into her hands, her elbows on the table. Archie sat down next to her and laid his hand on her back.

"What happened?" he whispered.

"They don't want me to have our baby," she mumbled into her palms. Archie's mouth closed abruptly. Yikes. How was he supposed to respond to that? "And my dad hates me, my mom will blindly do whatever he asks or think whatever he says, and I'm not allowed back into the penthouse."

Fred, who was leaning against the wall behind them, slowly made his way around the table until he was facing directly towards them. "What did I hear?"

Archie groaned inside his head. "Dad, I'll tell you later, okay? Can you just let us deal with this?"

"Um, absolutely not! You are my son I have the right to know what's going on in your life!"

"I swear to god, dad, I promise I'll tell you later!"

"No! I won't deal with this 'i'll tell you later' crap! I need to know what happened!"

"You will! Can you give us a second?"

A tired Veronica looked up from her hands and said in a quiet voice, "Mr. Andrews, I'm pregnant." Pause. Fred's eyes grew wide.

"That's what I thought I heard, but I didn't want to believe it." Tears began forming in Veronica's eyes once again. "Are you sure?" She nodded. "It's definitely Archie's I presume?" She nodded again. "And your kicked out of the Pembrooke because the parents didn't take the news well?"

"That's why I'm here," Veronica croaked numbly, her voice scratchy and dry from crying.

"You can stay here as long as you need, Ronnie," Archie said loudly. There was no way Fred would argue. Not with a tear-stricken, vulnerably fragile girl in the room.

"Thank you so much," Veronica sighed. "It may be awhile."

* * *

"Why didn't you tell me?" Archie whispered as they lay down together on Archie's bed. She had changed into a comfy oversized t-shirt and given her face a good scrubbing. "I could gave been their with you, for you."

"I didn't want them to hate you," Veronica said truthfully. "If they are going to hate somebody, it's better me than both of us."

"Ronnie, you didn't have to go through that alone. They hate me anyways."

"But they would have killed you if you were there. I can't believe your dad handled it so well."

"Well? He's going to give me a long and torturous lecture about protection and abstinence when you're not around." Despite the drab situation they were in, Veronica let out a soft giggle, but it quickly turned into a sigh.

"At least you're allowed to sleep in your own bed."

"At least you're allowed to sleep in my bed next to me." Veronica smiled and moved herself closer to his body.

"I love you Archikins," she whispered into his chest.

"I love you too," he whispered back, his breath ruffling her hair. She was so tired, so painfully tired. Her limbs felt detached from her body, and her heart ached miserably. Her head thrummed, threatening to throw another nasty migraine her way even after the days events. Her mind replayed what her father had told her.

" _Veronica Cecilia Lodge, if this is true, I cannot believe the outrageous amount of disgrace you have brought upon our family name."_

 _"Daddy, I'm so sorry, it was an accident and we were being stupid, careless kids. I am aware that no amount of apologies can undo what I did, but I'm so sorry."_

 _"If you think you are entitled to all the things we give you, this food, this house, those pearls for gods sakes, you are truly mistaken. I do not want to see you here again."_

Veronica closed her eyes, holding back tears. Visions of her dad's furious rage and her mom's sorrowful stare filled her mind. Why couldn't her mother have talked back to Hiram and stood up for her? She of all people should know how difficult it is to bear a child, especially if you can't come back to your own house.

Veronica cursed herself for thinking of her parents, and for feeling pity towards herself. If her dad didn't want her, then fine. She could do this on her own, or at least with the help of Fred and Archie and Betty and others who supported her decision.

 _I'm going to have this child,_ she repeated in her head. _And Archie and I will take of it for the rest of our lives._ No amount of abortion pamphlets and adoption agency websites will persuade her into losing her baby.


	6. Chapter 6

"I don't want to, I don't want to, I don't want to," Veronica groaned. She dug her face deeper into Archie's pillow and tried to ignore the inescapable morning sickness that she could feel was creeping up on her.

"You don't want to what?" Archie slipped on a t-shirt and ran a hand through his hair.

"Schoooooooool."

Archie looked at the little raven-haired girl curled up on his bed with an amused look. "You don't want to school?" She glanced at him and nodded, a pout on her lips.

"Well, you don't have to school today. It's Sunday, Ronnie. I'm going to meet Jughead and Betty at Pop's for breakfast but if you want me to stay here with you I can cancel-"

"I want to come."

"What?"

"Archikins, I know you heard me."

"Oh. Uhhh... sure."

Veronica raised an teasing eyebrow. "Did you not want me to come?"

"No of course not! It just caught me by surprise. I guess I just assumed you wanted to rest..."

"I do. But I also want to do something... normal. That doesn't have to do with..." She pointed at her belly, which was already starting to bulge a little.

"Oh, you mean Peyton?" Veronica giggled, a stupid smile spreading across her face.

"No. We aren't naming our child after a fucking football player."

Archie opened his mouth in fake astonishment. "But Peyton is a gender-neutral name! It can work for both a girl or a guy!"

"I know what gender-neutral means, Archikins. You obviously underestimate me." Veronica rolled her eyes adoringly and got out of bed.

"I think you underestimate the greatness of the name Peyton."

"I don't think so." She walked over to Archie and ruffled his red hair, pushing a bit out of his face. Arms wrapped around his neck and his wrapped around her waist, he leaned in to give her a lingering kiss on the mouth. "I'm going to go and get ready okay? It'll be like 5 minutes."

"5 minutes?" Archie laughed, pecking her lips again. "More like 30."

"Shut up. I'll try to finished in 10. Actually, 15."

"Good luck with that!" Archie sang.

"I hate you!" Veronica swatted his chest and turned around. She strutted to the bathroom and closed the door, leaving Archie to watch her walk away.

* * *

"WHAT? VERONICA!" Betty practically screamed. The few people sitting in booths around them turned their way. Veronica could see Pop Tate out of the corner of her eye glancing at their table before shaking his head.

"Shhh," Veronica whispered. "Be quiet!"

"THIS IS DEFINITELY A VALID REASON TO BE NOT QUIET!"

Jughead tilted his head and cleared his throat. "Wait, so, lemme get this straight. You told your parents you were pregnant but Archie wasn't there and now you're homeless."

"Well not exactly _homeless_ ," Veronica protested. "I'm gonna stay at Archie's."

"For how long?" Betty asked, finally lowering her voice.

Veronica shrugged, looking at her hands. "I-I don't really know, honestly."

"V, If anything happen, you can always stay at my place and I'm sure Juggie will be happy to let you crash at his for a bit." Betty said. She gave her best friend a sad smile.

"Um, yeah, okay," Jughead stuttered.

Archie and Veronica laughed. "We're fine for now," Archie said.

"Good," Jughead sighed. He leaned forward to take another sip of his chocolate milkshake. Suddenly, a bright grin spread across Betty's face.

"Why so happy all of a sudden?" Archie questioned.

"Guys, graduation is in less than two months!"

"Woo!" Veronica squealed. "Who's ready to get out of Riverdale High?"

"Meeeee!" Betty yelled. "Columbia here I come!" Veronica smiled, genuinely happy for her friend. Columbia was a great school and as much as she wanted to go there herself, she knew that Betty deserved that acceptance letter.

Jughead leaned over to kiss Betty's cheek. "And New York studio apartment here I come!" Betty giggled and rested her head on Jughead's shoulder. She was a huge believer of college education but if Jughead didn't want to attend schooling for the next four years of his life, then that was his decision and she supported him. He wanted to follow his passion in photography and video-making without the 'restraints of a university that may limit my abilities and freedom.' (quote: Jughead) Plus the tuition payment was an issue.

Coincidentally, Archie and Veronica were both going to NYU. It was Veronica's top choice from the age of 10. On the other hand, Archie had actually set his heart on Julliard and was understandably disappointed when his rejection letter arrived, but was more than happy to be going to the same school as his girlfriend. It seemed like fate that all the members of the core four were going to live in the same state. But now, with Veronica's pregnancy, who knew what could happen? The due date was around December 23, after the start of freshman year. It would be a struggle, but Veronica was determined to both bear a child and succeed academically in college.

"V, do you have a dress yet?" Betty asked, snapping Veronica back into reality.

"I have a few in mind," Veronica responded. "How bout you?"

"I need help. Major fashion help."

"Dress shopping later?"

"I thought you would never ask."

"Girls day!" Veronica squealed.

"Ronnie," Archie whispered. "Are you sure you'll be okay? I think maybe you should rest up or something, this morning you said you weren't feeling well."

"I'll be fine, Archikins." Veronica grasped his hand under the table. Archie smiled.

* * *

Little did she know, Veronica was not actually fine. It may have been her slight nausea or her pulsing headache or just her overall tiredness, she had to call Archie to pick her up from the shopping mall.

"I'm so sorry, B, I swear I'll make it up to you," Veronica promised as she got into the car.

"No, it's okay." Betty said, a pitiful expression on her face. "Rest up, alright? I hope you feel better."

"Thanks," Veronica mumbled. She gave Betty a weak smile but as soon as Archie had said goodbye and pulled out of the parking lot, she let out a loud groan. Burying her face in her hands, she gritted her teeth and willed the migraine away.

It wasn't working.

"We'll be home soon, Ronnie. I'm so sorry honey just stay strong for a few more minutes." At Archie's place, Veronica continued her new daily routine of whimpering on his bed and feeling bad for herself. It's so weird. People will treat you like you're fragile and you can break, but it just makes you feel worse about yourself. Even though she knew that Betty meant the best and was truly worried about her, it crumbled her on the inside. Veronica Lodge did _not_ need someone to feel bad for her. She was a confident, bold, and independent bitch. Pregnancy really can do something to a girl.

Archie, being to kind, loving, selfless soul he is, went out of his way to help his writhing girlfriend. Food, water, medicine, blankets, thermometer, clothes, tissues, whatever. But, in the end, the only thing that he could really do for her in time like these was to be there for her and let her push through. She always seemed to do so, somehow.

"Hey, how're ya feeling Veronica?" Fred asked as he poked his head through the door.

Veronica sat up on her elbows and shrugged to the best of her abilities. "Could be better, could be worse." He entered the room, stealing a quick glance at Archie. It may have seemed worried if Veronica was in a better state to actually notice finer details.

"Um, you left your phone here earlier today and it kept ringing and ringing and ringing," Fred said. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out her cell, handing it to her. She pressed the home button and the screen lit up. On the lock screen, it read:

 _Mom  
_ _5 missed calls_

 _Daddy  
_ _7 missed calls_ _  
_

Archie glanced at the phone. "What the hell do they want?" Veronica growled. "Fucking assholes."

"Are you gonna call them back?"

"I'll deal with it later," Veronica sighed, just as another wave of nausea hit her.


	7. Chapter 7

About an hour had passed since Veronica found out about the missed calls from her parents. The pain medications had kicked in and she was feeling much better. With Archie's urging, she managed to swallow a bit of dinner without vomiting (it happened to be Fred's critically acclaimed world-famous spaghetti and meatballs, as he liked to call it).

Veronica finished half the serving before setting the bowl down on Archie's bedside table. She picked up a napkin to delicately dab the marinara sauce off her lips, immediately spotting her phone that was laying underneath it.

"Do you think I should?" she contemplated aloud. Archie, who was scarfing down probably his third bowl of pasta, glanced up at her questioningly. She nodded towards the phone that was still resting on the table.

"Oooh. I honestly don't know, Ronnie. This is your decision, not mine." Archie paused, thinking. "I wonder what your father wants to say."

Veronica sighed. "Well, there's absolutely no way he's forgiven me already. That's all I know"

"What about your mom?"

Veronica shrugged. "Can we not talk about this please?"

"Of course!" Archie stood up from his seat at his desk and sat down on the edge of the bed, next to Veronica. "You up for some Netflix bingeing?"

"Always."

"The Office?"

"Um, is that even a question?"

"Just making sure you didn't want to watch fucking iCarly," Archie said. Veronica's mouth opened in a giggle, a sweet smile spreading across her face, something that Archie hadn't seen in a while.

"Watch it buddy, iCarly has and always will have a special place in my heart." Veronica patted her chest just for emphasis.

Archie jutted his bottom lip out, fake pouting. "What about me?"

"You, my dear Archikins, have my whole heart." Archie leaned down to place a soft kiss on her lips.

"You're so fucking cheesy but I love you for it." He gave her another quick kiss on her forehead. "I'm gonna take these dishes downstairs, will you be okay?"

"Oh my god, Archie. I can take care of myself for five minutes."

"Well, you have to keep an eye on Peyton as well."

Veronica glared at Archie. If they weren't madly in love, he would have been terrified. "Its name is not Peyton. And it's not as if he or she will just pop out any second."

"How do you know? Let's ask little Peyton…"

"If you refer to our unborn baby as Peyton one more time, I will kill you."

"If you kill me, no one is gonna be around to father little Peyton."

"You're gonna die" Veronica growled, but she couldn't help the small grin that was forming on her lips.

Archie studied her. "You really should start smiling more often."

She sighed. "It's hard to, with everything that's been going on."

"Will you try, just for me?"

"Okay."

* * *

A few minutes later, Veronica and Archie had moved themselves from Archie's bedroom to the family room downstairs. They were snuggled up together on the couch, arms wrapped around each other. The Office was playing on the TV in front of them, but Veronica wasn't paying attention. She was too focused on other things.

Archie could tell that she had zoned out, but didn't want to press her on what she was really thinking about. He just let her lay in his arms, savoring her warmth. These were the times that he wanted to always remember. Them being lazy together, not caring about anyone else. Them looking out for each other no matter what. Them thinking of their future as a couple and what that may hold.

"I gotta go," Veronica said suddenly, startling Archie.

"W-what?" Where could Veronica possibly need to go?

"I want to see my mom."

"Oh, um, okay…" Veronica gave him a quick peck on his cheek and stood up. She threw on a jacket over Archie's t-shirt that she was wearing and slipped her phone inside one of the pockets.

"I love you please say thank you to your dad for me tell him I truly appreciate his kindness and hospitality and I'm sorry for burdening both of you." The words rushed out of Veronica's mouth like it was all mushed together.

She swung open the door and just as she was about to step outside Archie yelled, "Wait, Ronnie!" She paused, the cool night air hitting her face and making her cheeks turn a bit red. He looked as if he was going to object, tell her to stay with him. But he changed his mind. "Do you need a ride?"

She cleared her throat, caught off guard. "Yes, Archikins. That would be great."

* * *

"I love you," Archie called out the window from the driver's seat.

"I love you too!" Veronica called back. She stood outside the door of the Pembrooke. "I'll be okay." She gave Archie a reassuring smile.

"Okay, see you soon!" Archie pulled out of the driveway and rounded the corner, glancing at his girlfriend once more.

Veronica licked her chapped lips nervously and pressed a shaky finger to the doorbell. She hoped that her mom would answer. Dear god she needed her mom to answer. Somehow, she thought her mother would give in more easily to pity than her father.

And, as luck would have it, the large wooden doors swung opened and she became face to face with Hiram Lodge.

Hiram blinked with surprise, obviously caught off guard. "Hello, Veronica." He quickly regained his composure. "Why haven't you answer my calls?"

"I didn't feel the need to."

"Excuse me?"

"You kicked me out of the house, so I assumed you didn't want to stay in contact with me."

"Yet here you are, still begging for forgiveness."

Veronica swallowed, barely keeping her temper down. "May I please come inside?"

Hiram opened his mouth but before he could say anything, Hermione appeared behind him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Of course you may come in," she said. Veronica cautiously eyed her father, who was clenching his teeth, as she stepped into the Pembrooke. It has only been a few days since she's last been inside this house but it seemed like so much had changed.

"I don't want your forgiveness," Veronica suddenly said. "I only need a place to sleep. I can't stay at Archie's house forever."

"You've been staying at Archie's?" Hiram exclaimed.

"Where else would I have gone?" There was a brief moment of silence. "Again, I'm sorry for being careless and stupid and both of us, Archie and I, should have known better but ultimately it happened. I'm pregnant, and there's nothing we can do about it.

Hiram interrupted, "Actually-"

"No. I'm not getting an abortion." Veronica stood strong in front of her parents, her arms crossed across her chest. But on the inside, she was a vulnerable little girl who still essentially relied on her parent's love and support. Not having both of those at such a difficult part of her life hurt her more than she would admit.

She was scared. Really fucking scared. Scared that she wouldn't be allowed in the house again. Scared that she would have to live the rest of her life without her parents. Scared of her future, mostly. She was barely handling with an unborn child inside of her stomach, how would she be able to take care of a baby that was alive? What if she ended up giving the child up for adoption because she wasn't a good mother? What if she couldn't survive college and raise a baby at the same time? What if she didn't even have her parent's money to pay for NYU? What if her dad hated her so much that she was left homeless and jobless at age 18? What would her life spiral into?

"You don't have to get an abortion," Hermione whispered. Veronica was taken aback. Was her mother crying? Actually crying? A single tear slid down her cheek, and she didn't even bother wiping it away. "You don't have to give it up for adoption either, mija. I'm sorry I was so heartless and unsympathetic when you told us about your pregnancy. That was tremendously courageous of you. As soon as I came to my senses and realized just how much you were going through, I tried reaching out to you."

Veronica was crying too, now. "Mother, you called me nearly a day later! Did it really take you 24 hours to see how much I needed you?" This was weird for Veronica, spilling out her feelings and talking about how she depends on others. It was hard for her to admit because of her stubborn nature.

"Mija, I'm so incredibly sorry. I was overcome by shock and couldn't think straight that night. I remember when I was pregnant with you and how I needed so much help from the people around me, and when I realized you thought we didn't care for you, it broke me. I love you, Veronica, with all my heart. You were all I ever wanted in my life and I was willing to give up everything to have you, so I want to give the same opportunities to you. I will assist you with anything you need, parenting classes, doctors' appointments, medications, whatever. I swear on my life, I will do anything to help you deliver this child." It hurt Veronica to see how much regret was etched into Hermione's features. There were bags under her eyes, her hair was a tangled mess, and little to no makeup was applied. This was a true sign of distress.

Hermione sobbed, her face was wet with tears. "I'm can't express how ashamed I feel. I'm so, so sorry. Will you ever be able to forgive me?"

"Can we both forgive each other?" Veronica whispered. She met her mom's eyes and could see her genuine shame and guilt.

Hermione nodded. Relief flooded over Veronica. Gratefully, she stepped into her mother's shaking arms and they embraced, like a normal family would. But through Veronica's teary eyes, she could see Hiram glance at them quickly before closing the door to his study behind him, shaking his head.


End file.
